Aston Martin has confirmed it will be unveiling its first SUV in the last quarter (Q4) of 2019, with the DBX to be produced at the company’s new St Athan facility. The SUV was rumoured to be called the Varekai before this, and was first preview by a similarly-named concept during the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
While details about the DBX are scarce for now, Aston Martin is more than happy to reveal the progress of its second production facility, which started life as a series of hangars owned by the British Ministry of Defence.
Currently, the facility features a paint shop and has a staff of 100 employees, with construction of the production line well underway. The first prototype models will be built there once it is fully commissioned in the first quarter of 2019, which will see the workforce grow to 200 personnel.
Looking further forwards, the number of employees will spike to more than 700 people by the first quarter of 2020 as production of the DBX ramps up. Aside from producing the DBX, the St Athan facility is the company’s ‘Home of Electrification’ when the marque’s planned BEV models enter production.
“As the St Athan facility nears completion, there is a very real sense this is the start of a bold new era for Aston Martin Lagonda. A second production facility is a critical step in delivering our Second Century Plan,” said Andy Palmer, president and group CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda.
“The St Athan facility will initially commence with the production of our first SUV but will ultimately be a global centre of excellence for the production of luxury high performance EVs, including Lagonda: the world’s first luxury electric automotive brand,” he added.
GALLERY: Aston Martin DBX concept
GALLERY: Aston Martin St Athan facility
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Like a jacked up version of their Gran turismos. Urus seems more like a proper sports SUV.